The variability of isotopes is known as the isotope effect, a term describing the mass-dependent variations of natural isotope contents for a particular element. The isotope effect is a consequence of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle on 75 levels of the energy distribution of molecular vibrations (Metallomics, 2016, Accepted Manuscript DOI: 10.1039/C6MT00148C). It is known that the isotopic weight has an effect on the value of the effective radius of electron orbits of atoms and leads to changes in the characteristics of the fine structure of atomic energy levels. Biochemical processes of organisms are highly dependent on the conditions of their occurrence, usually using resonant effects, so the slightest deformations of electron orbitals can lead to disruption of biochemical reactions.
A number of studies have demonstrated that the isotopic composition of tissues and organs can serve as a diagnostic marker. In particular, the study of correlations of Cu and Zn isotopes in blood showed their promising relationship to age, sex and pathologies. For example, assessment of the ratio of Cu isotopes in the blood serum is a new approach to the diagnosis and prognosis of liver cirrhosis (see M. Costas-Rodriguez et al., Isotopic analysis of Cu in blood serum by multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry: a new approach for the diagnosis and prognosis of liver cirrhosis? Metallomics 7: 491-498 (2015)), and the isotopic composition of Zn in breast tissue makes it possible to diagnose cancer (F. Lamer et al., Zinc isotopic compositions of breast cancer tissue, Metallomics 7: 107-112 (2015)).
In particular, it was found that natural water and most foods that are used by humans contain heavy isotopes of chemical elements. Every human, being a complex biochemical system, fractionates heavy isotopes during his lifetime. As a result, heavy isotopes, which accumulate in the human organism starting at birth, gradually “integrate” into the cells.
While not wishing to be bound by theory, the present inventors believe that each of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen potassium, magnesium, zinc, rubidium, silicon, iron, molybdenum, selenium, nickel, germanium, chromium, copper, and vanadium play important roles in autocatalytic reactions in the body of an animal, such as a human or other mammal. The products of such autocatalytic reactions, such as proteins, play important chemical and structural roles in the body, including immune function. Fully functional products of such reactions require a specific, “correct” chirality at various chiral centers within the product. The inventors further understand that heavy isotopes accumulate in the body beginning at birth such that, over time, the relative abundance of each element's isotopes drifts further and further from the naturally occurring relative abundance, becoming increasingly over-weighted with respect to heavy isotopes. Heavy isotopes can affect autocatalytic reactions by reducing the proportion of products that have the “correct” chirality. See, e.g., Tsuneomi Kawasaki et al., Asymmetric Autocatalysis Triggered by Carbon Isotope (13C/12C) Chirality, Science 324: 492-95 (2009). This causes a reduction in the proportion of products of autocatalytic reactions that are fully functional. In sum, the cumulative divergence of the body's isotope relative abundances from the natural relative abundance causes a decrease in the functionality of various proteins and other molecules in the body, leading to a decline in health with age.
The present inventors believe such a decline can be countered by restoring the body's original isotope relative abundances, or by moving the isotope relative abundances in that direction. Similarly, pathogenic infectious bacteria can be suppressed by treating them with light isotopes of the elements listed above, which can alter the chirality of the autocatalytic products of such bacteria, resulting in their death or suppressed growth. Thus, treatment with light isotopes can have the dual result of improving the body's ability to fight off a bacterial infection and simultaneously killing or suppressing the growth of infective bacteria. Further, the quantity of light isotope that is effective may be proportional to the quantity of the corresponding element that is present in the body. Where the body contains a relatively large quantity of the element, a correspondingly relatively large amount of the element's light isotope will be required to provide an effective dosage amount. On the other hand, where the body contains a relatively small quantity of the element, a correspondingly relatively small amount of the element's light isotope will be required to provide an effective dosage amount.
Light isotopes have been used in medicine, veterinary medicine, food industry and agriculture without producing adverse effects on organisms.
Patent RU2498807 purports to disclose a new treatment of acute radiation sickness which uses water with light isotopes as a therapeutic agent. The remedy is said to improve survival and accelerate recovery of hematopoiesis and body weight.
International publication no. WO 01/82871 describes a method of diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. This method uses zinc and the unstable isotope 62Zn in the form of zinc acetate, zinc chloride and zinc sulfate, as well as the phosphate carrier.
According to U.S. publication no. 2016/0151415, a pharmaceutical composition for improving health condition and treatment of pathologies and degenerative diseases includes a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an active isotope selective ingredient that includes at least one chemical element wherein the isotope distribution is different from that occurring in nature, inherent in such chemical element. Thus 39K, 24Mg, 64Zn, 85Rb, 26Si, 40Ca, 63Cu, 54Fe, 52Cr, 58Ni, 92Mo, 107Ag, 79Br, 35Cl and combinations thereof are used as possible selective isotopes. However, the antibacterial effect of the above isotopes is not described in the said application.
Publication No. GB2531207 purports to disclose an antibacterial agent which consists of at least one of the isotopes of hydrogen selected from the group including 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H and 7H, a hydrogen molecule (H2), metal hydride, a hydrogen ion (H+), a hydride ion (H−) and atomic hydrogen. The composition described in this publication is said to exhibit antibacterial activity and reduce propagation of drug-resistant microorganisms. In addition, hydrogen, after its exposure to pathogenic microorganisms, combines with oxygen to form water. According to the publication, this eliminates adverse effects of the antibacterial agent on the organism to which it is administered, and the said agent has little effect on the host organism even if it is administered in combination with another drug(s).
There remains a need for new, effective antibacterial compositions.